Time Apart
by Katetodd4eva
Summary: Kate survives, but still leaves NCIS. What happens when she comes back to check on the team? Takes part during season 15
1. Chapter 1

Kate sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Her side still ached and the headache was still throbbing in the back of her head, but she had to get out of here. Her fingers dug into the slim mattress of the hospital bed as she waited for the nurse to come back. When she heard the door open she looked up expectantly, but her heart sank when she looked into blue eyes. Her body stiffened and her heart rate increased.

"Gibbs" she said softly as she tore her eyes away from her.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he slowly walked over to her. She shrugged and stared the floor.

"I need to go home. I need to get out of her. I need to go be with my family" she sniffled, but he couldn't see any tears on her face.

"Kate, you need to stay here. The nurse said" he started but she looked up at him and cut him off.

"I don't care what the nurse said. I am alive, Gibbs. That asshole almost killed me today. I took" her voice broke and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"I took a bullet for you" she finally finished her sentence. They stared at each other for what seemed like a life time. Gibbs moved closer to her so he was now standing directly in front of her. She looked up at him, making the unshed tears slowly roll down her face. Gibbs, without thinking, reached out and with his thumb and wiped it away. Kate closed her eyes as she savoured the feeling of him touching her.

"Gibbs" she said softly and before she knew it, his lips were on hers, kissing her softly. It took her a moment to realise what was happening, and when her brain caught up she started kissing him back. Her hands grabbed the lapels of his jacket to pull him closer. She had wanted to do this for a very long time, and it seemed that after the events of today, both thought it was finally time to give in.

When they finally broke apart, Gibbs rested his forehead against hers as she took a deep breath.

"I love you. I have for a long time" she admitted and she could have sworn he smiled. He leaned back so he could look at her properly.

"Katie, I will get him" he told her and she nodded and smiled, but it didn't seem like a happy smile. She ducked her head and wiped her eyes.

"Gibbs, I can't stay here. In DC" she finally said. That's when Gibbs finally understood what she was saying.

"Kate, I can keep you safe" he told her softly as he reached out to stroke her hair. She looked up at him, now the tears very evident on her face.

"I know, but I can't keep you safe. He wanted to kill me to get to you. For me to keep you safe, I need to go" she said, her voice breaking. He could see how hard this was for her, and it made his heart ache. He sighed and stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, kissed her head.

"It's okay" he told her softly as she clung to him.

That was to be the last time they saw each other.

13 years later

Gibbs was enjoying every day after almost dying in Paraguay. He would park further away than normal so he could enjoy the walk to the NCIS main building. On this particular day the sun was shining high in the sky without a cloud in sight. He took a deep breath of fresh air in, making him smile. He really had a different outlook on life now.

As he approached the front door he got this feeling. He didn't know what it was but it was certainly making his gut turn. He slowed his walk and came to a stop. The hairs on the back of his neck started to stand on end. He turned and saw a woman sitting at a bench. At first glance she didn't look familiar, but when he looked again he saw her eyes. He started walking towards the bench where she sat, and as he got closer the woman stood up. She was shot, slim and had shoulder length light brown hair, slightly wavy. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she started walking towards him. He stopped and she eventually came to a stop in front of him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Hi Gibbs" she said with a small smile. Her eyes sparkled that emerald green that he remembered and the splattering of freckles on her nose seems even more.

"Hi, Kate" he said, still clearly shocked at the fact she was standing in front of her.

"It's been a while" she stated with a nervous smile.

"Uh huh" he agreed with a nod. Kate's eyes got distracted by a group of people just behind Gibbs who had stopped and was staring at them.

"Perhaps we can go somewhere more private and talk?" she asked as she indicated the group behind him. He turned to see Bishop, Nick and McGee. When they noticed Gibbs had spotted them they all ran inside, like they had been caught by their father doing something they shouldn't be. Kate smiled as they ran off and turned her attention back to Gibbs.

"So, coffee?" she suggested. He looked at her and as much as he knew it may be a bad idea, but he couldn't say no to her. He never really could.

"Sure" he nodded and led the way.

Gibbs took the liberty of getting their coffee's while Kate sat patiently waiting in one of the corner booths. When Gibbs came back with two coffees, sliding in opposite her, with that crooked smile of his.

"Thanks" she said with a smile, as she took it and took a small sip. Gibbs did the same, not taking his eyes off her.

"You cut your hair" he pointed out and she nodded with a laugh.

"Yes, it's been like this for a while now" she answered with a smile. Gibbs nodded, now it suddenly grew awkward between them.

"You married?" he suddenly asked, catching her off guard. She smiled and shook her head.

"No" she answered. Gibbs nodded, internally grateful for that.

"Kids?" he asked again, earning a laugh from her now.

"No, no. I missed out on that" she said, even though her face was smiling, he could see the sadness in her eyes. Again, there was a silence. There seemed to be so much to say, yet nothing was really being said.

"Your hair is longer. I like it" she said admiring his longer, shaggier looking cut.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked her, making her smile disappear. She sighed and looked down at her hands holding her coffee cup.

"I saw the trial on TV. Heard you and McGee had gone missing in Paraguay" Gibbs was quiet while he let her talk.

"Then, I heard that you had been found. I-I had to come and see for myself. I had to come and see that you were okay" she said with a sad smile. He could see her fingers playing with the cardboard on her coffee cup, so he reached over and covered her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm okay" he told her, giving her a small smile. She looked up into his eyes.

"I've missed you" she told him softly. Gibbs nodded and held her hand tighter.

"A lot has changed, Kate" he said softly and she nodded.

"I know" her voice a lot softer. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

"You know, when I decided to come and see you I had this whole speech planned. But now that I am here actually with you, I can't remember a word of it" she admitted, not looking at him. Gibbs smiled softly, that was so Kate to come to a meeting well prepared.

"Dinner? Tonight?" he suddenly asked, seemingly to take both of them off guard.

"I would love to, but I have a date" she said with a smile.

"Oh" he replied and started to take his hand off of hers, but Kate quickly reacted and grabbed it before he let go completely.

"I have a date with Abby Gibbs" she said with a little laugh. Gibbs visibly relaxed.

"Okay, well how about dessert then?" he couldn't look at her in case she said no again. But he felt her squeeze his hand softly.

"I would love to" she admitted, causing him to look up at her and smile.

Dinner with Abby hadn't gone very late, so she decided to go and take Gibbs up on his offer of dessert. She pulled into his driveway and took a deep breath before getting out and heading to the front door. She was about to knock when she remembered that he never locks his front door. She opened it slowly and walked inside. The house was dimly lit and so very quiet. She walked through and saw light coming up from the basement. She carefully made her way to the door, taking another deep breath before slowly heading down the stairs. She looked over the railing and saw him bending over to fix something, she couldn't see what. She stopped where she was to admire the view.

"You know it's rude to stare" came his voice, but he didn't stand up. She grinned and was very glad he could not see the blush rise in her cheeks.

"Just admiring the view" she replied as she continued down the steps and made her way over to the bench. She placed her hand bag on top of it and grabbed a stool and took a seat as she waited for Gibbs.

Gibbs stood up, stretched his back which had gone somewhat stiff from the position he had been in, he turned and looked at her.

"How was dinner?" he asked as he threw a few screws on the bench and grabbed two glasses, blew any dust from them and poured some bourbon into both, turning to hand one to Kate, who took it with a smile.

"It was good. She filled in quiet a lot of blanks" she took a small sip, knowing how strong Gibbs liked his bourbon. Gibbs did the same, but came to stand closer to her.

"Hungry?" he asked softly, causing her to look up into his eyes. She shook her head, many responses running through her head, until one stuck and escaped her lips.

"Not for food" she watched his face trying to read his response. She took one more sip before putting the glass next to her on the bench. Gibbs did the same as he came to stand right in front of her, their legs touching. He reached down and cupped her cheek, their eyes never leaving each other. She reached out and put her hands on his hips, pulling him even closer to her. It felt so good to touch him, and she wanted more.

Gibbs finally leaned in and closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. It was just like 13 years ago when they had shared their first kiss. Just like that first time, she wanted more. She moved her hands from his hips, up his chest and wrapping around his neck, pulling him down to her so she could deepen the kiss.

Without warning Kate pulled back and looked at him.

"Gibbs I have to tell you something" she said a little breathless after their kiss. He took a small step back to put some distance between them, her hands dropping from around his neck and she grabbed both of his hands in hers.

"I didn't just come to DC for you" she started, and a glimmer of sadness showed in his eyes, causing her to squeeze his hands.

"It was 80% for you and 20% for a job interview I have tomorrow" when he didn't say anything she continued "I had wanted to come for a while. See how you are and see you in person. But I was so scared of what would happen. Then Morrow called me. He offered me a job at Homeland Security. It was kind of like the kick in the ass I needed to finally come back here" she was trying to read his face but couldn't. Her heart started to race when he didn't say anything and she knew she had screwed up. She wanted to make it better but she didn't know what to say.

"Anyone would be lucky to have you Kate" he finally said, giving her a small lopsided smile. He let her hands go and reached for his glass of bourbon, taking another sip.

"Even you?" she asked not even thinking about the words.

"As much as I would like to have you back at NCIS and back on my team, I have rules" he waited for her to understand what rule he was talking about. It took her a moment then she smiled.

"You're talking about rule #12?" she asked with a smile and he nodded.

"I have had so many second chances at life Katie, I'm not passing up another second chance with you" he said softly. Kate felt like her heart was going to burst. She never thought Gibbs would ever be capable of saying anything as romantic as that.

"I don't want to pass it up either" she replied softly, trying not to let the emotions take control of her.

"Go be you tomorrow, then come back and we will celebrate" he told her with a cheeky glint in his eyes. This made her grin and bite her lip.

"Is that a promise?" she asked. Gibbs put his drink back down, leaned in and kissed her again.

"Promise" he whispered against her lips.

Kate could not wait to tell Gibbs the news. She practically ran up the front steps and opened the door, making sure not to slam it shut behind her. She was about to head for the door when she saw him sitting on the couch in the lounge room. He had one foot resting on the coffee table, glasses perched on his nose and a book in his hands. When he noticed her he put the book down and gave her a small smile. She made her way to sit down next to him. Without saying a word and took the book from his hands and read the title.

"Wow Gibbs, I'm impressed" she said handing it back to him. He took his glasses off and threw them on the table. He dog eared the page he was on before closing the book and throwing that also onto the table.

"Told you a lot has changed" he said with a smile and she nodded.

"And a lot more is about to change" she couldn't control the grin that formed on her mouth.

"They gave you the job?" he asked and she nodded.

"He practically had the paper work ready for me to sign as soon as I walked in" he could hear the excitement in her voice.

"So what now?" he asked. He had a million things running through his head, but he didn't want to assume anything until she had said the words.

"Now I have to start looking for a place to live and get ready for the big move" she told him, finally taking off her jacket.

Gibbs doesn't know what possessed him to say, he knew his heart wanted it but his gut was telling him to slow down. But for one of the first times in his life he decided to ignore his gut and go with his heart.

"Live here" he told her. The look on her face told him she also was not expecting that to come from him.

"What? Are you sure?" she asked, still shocked at his proposal. He nodded and reached over and placed his hand on her leg.

"Very sure. Move in with me" he said softly. She smiled as she looked at him and nodded.

"Okay" she said softly, making him grin. He leaned over and kissed her softly. It was short and sweet, but she wanted more. She wanted a celebration, just as he promised.

Kate wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her and kissing him deeper. She leaned back on the couch, forcefully pulling him down on top of her. He supported himself with one arm on the arm of the couch, near her head, while the other found its way under her blouse.

They were both so distracted in each other, that they didn't hear the front door open or close, or the footsteps into the house until it was too late.

"Oh god, I'm sorry" Gibbs pulled away and turned to see Sloane standing in the door way, looking rather shocked. Gibbs quickly jumped off of Kate and rearranged his close.

"Next time knock" he grunted at her as he walked over to her, took her by the elbow and lead her back toward the front door. Sloane couldn't help but start laughing when it finally registered at what she had just seen.

"I didn't know you had company" she finally said in a low voice.

"You didn't ask" he said as he opened the door for her, practically throwing her out of his home.

"Well, enjoy Gibbs" she cooed as she took the hint and walked out the door. He closed it behind her, making sure to lock it. He took a calming breath before making his way back to the lounge room. Kate was now sitting up, a smile on her face. He was glad that the interruption hadn't seemed to ruin the mood completely.

"You better start locking that damn door if I am going to be living here in the future" she told him. He grinned and walked over to her.

"You can count on it" he took her hands and pulled her off the couch. He pulled her close to him, tucked some stray hair out of her face and leaned down to kiss her softly.

"Bedroom" she whispered against his lips. He smiled and led her up the stairs and to his bedroom. She had never been up to this part of the house before. He hadn't turned the main lights on, but a small bedside lamp that put the room in a dim yellow light. From what she could see the room was very simple. It was very Gibbs.

Gibbs pulled her against his body, his lips instantly back on hers, his tongue exploring every inch of her mouth. She hummed into his mouth enjoying every second of it. His fingers expertly started undoing the buttons of her blouse, then pushing it off her body letting it drop to the floor. His mouth left hers and started exploring her neck. Kate's hands reached out grabbing his belt and undoing the buckle, then working on the button and zipper of his jeans. She pulled them down and they hit the ground with a 'clink'.

Kate's hands went to the bottom of his shirt and she pulled it up and over his head and threw it over her shoulder. Gibbs pulled her over to the bed and gently laid her down. She moved to the centre of the bed and he crawled on top of her. She looked up at him, her eyes dark with want. He leaned down and kissed her again, before trailing kisses down her neck, over the swell of her breasts that were still covered by her bra, down over her abdomen and stomach. She bit her lip as she watched him, her whole body tingling.

Gibbs stopped at the top of her pants, undid them and pulled them down her slender legs, along with her black lace panties. He too, threw them onto the floor. He kissed up the inside of one of her legs, she leaned down and ran a hand through his hair. She tried to pull him up to her but it only made him go slower.

"Gibbs" she moaned, pushing her hips into him. He couldn't help but grin as he came up to her and kissed her deeply. She moaned into her mouth as her hands went to his boxers and she pulled them down as much as she could. He helped her with the last part, kicking them off. She finally got to see Gibbs in all his glory and it made the fire inside of her grow even more. She ran her hands down his torso and bit her lip as she saw what was waiting for her.

"Jethro" she breathed. It had been the first time she had actually called him by his first name and he loved it. It sounded so sexy coming from her. He positioned his body over hers and he looked down into her eyes. She smiled as she reached up to cup his face.

"I need you" she said softly. He grinned and leaned down and kissed her softly as he positioned himself and entered her slowly, both moaning into each other's mouths at the sensations that over took their bodies.

They laid together in a tangle of limbs, Gibbs' head resting on Kate's chest as she ran her hands through his silky soft hair. She couldn't see his face, but she knew his eyes were closed and he was slowly falling asleep by the way his chest rose and fell against her. She too was very tired after what seemed like a never ending love making session, but she loved seeing him like this. He looked so very relaxed and she didn't want to disturb him.

"Katie" he somewhat muffled. She smiled and stopped moving her hand.

"Yes Jethro?" she could really get used to calling him that. He slowly turned to lay next to her so he could look at her. He reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked softly, making her smile and she leaned closer to him.

"I think you should have asked me that before we did what we just did" she couldn't help but laugh, causing him to smile.

"But to answer your question, yes I am sure" she leaned in and kissed him softly.

"I want you. I don't want to lose another chance" she admitted and he nodded.

"Me too" he agreed. She leaned in and kissed him again. He pulled her to him so she could cuddle up to him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head. She closed her eyes and she could hear his heart beating.

It was the best night sleeps either of them had gotten.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just to give you guys warning, this chapter and possible following chapters will involve some partially in depth sex scenes. If you cant handle that don't read them. I just couldn't help myself. If I hadn't seen the love of my life for 13 years and then get a second chance, hell yeah I would be having as much sex as humanely possible.**

Kate rolled over and when there was no Gibbs there to roll into she opened her eyes to see him standing in only a towel at his chest of draws looking for clothes to pull on. She looked him up and down and grinned, grabbed his pillow and hugged it close to her as she continued to watch him.

"You should be sleeping" he finally said without turning to look at her.

"And you should come back to bed. Come on it's a Saturday" she purred and he couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.

"I know that, but murderers don't take a break" he replied as he dropped his towel to pull on his boxers. Watching this made her whole body tingle. She still couldn't believe how her body reacted to his. Although he was older, that's not news to either of them, she still found him extremely attractive. She loved his strong arms, his silver hair covered chest that was still amazingly somewhat solid, his hard but not six pack stomach and boy did she love his ass. She bit her lip as he pulled on a singlet then went over to the cupboard and chose a shirt. He pulled on the deep blue business shirt.

Gibbs walked back over to find his pants, but Kate sat up and walked over to him. She pushed him back against the draws and ran her hands up under the shirt.

"I love this colour on you" she whispers "It brings out the blue in your eyes" she finally looked up into his eyes and he could tell what she was thinking instantly and her grinned as he grabbed her by the waist.

"I can tell what you're thinking and the answer is no" he told her, but it was clear she didn't listen. She lean in and placed soft kisses on his neck as her hands continued to run all over his chest and stomach.

"I will be quick" she said against his neck and pulled back to give him a wicked grin. He looked at her a little confused. When her hands continued down his stomach and slipped inside his boxers, making him let out a soft groan.

"Katie" he looked down at her and he could have sworn her grin got even bigger.

"Yes Jethro?" she answered sweetly as her hands continue to manipulate his quickly growing member.

"Have a case" he grunted. It was very clear that he did not have the will power to forcefully stop her. Kate pulled down his boxers and forced his legs a part. With one more grin she knelt down.

"Told you, I will be quick" he could feel her breath on him. He watched her as she placed a gently kiss to his tip. He could not believe what she was about to do. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been taken care of like this. He reached back behind him to grab the draws, he wasn't sure if his legs were going to keep him up right.

Kate rolled her tongue over his tip and he couldn't help but moan. She was certainly going to be the death of him. But perhaps dying in this situation wouldn't be a bad way to go.

Kate was just putting dinner in the oven when the door bell rang, followed by an insistent knock on the door.

"Okay, I'm coming" she called out as she ran for the door. She opened the door and froze when she saw who it was.

"Well hello Ms. Todd" Tony said with a massive grin on his face.

"Tony, hi. Wow I wasn't expecting you" she finally said when he stepped forward to hug her.

"That's what surprises are for Kate. Gibbs here?" he asked as he stepped back to really look at her.

"No, not yet" Kate then spotted the little girl.

"Is this Tali?" she asked kneeling down to be the same height as the little girl. She smiled and nodded.

"Or, as I like to call her, little princess" Tony said proudly as he ran his hand over his daughters dark hair.

"Well hello little princess" Kate beamed at her, making Tali smile from ear to ear.

"Hi" she replied, clearly still a little shy.

"Well come on in, I just put dinner in the oven" Kate stood up to let them in, closing and locking the door behind them. She showed them into the lounge room where they took a seat. Kate being the host she was, grabbed them all a drink before coming and joining them in the lounge room.

"So how is Paris?" Kate asked straight away. Tony sat back and smiled.

"It's perfect. You should come and visit. Well you and Gibbs " he suggested making Kate laugh.

"What? I'm serious" Tony said, his smile never failing.

"Have you met Gibbs? I don't think he has ever taken a holiday" Tony nodded agreeing with her.

"You have a point there. But people change" he looked at her. He couldn't help but notice she looked almost the exact same, except for the fact her hair was shorter and maybe a few more freckles on her face. Kate looked down at her wine glass and nodded.

"That they do" she managed a smile "I mean look at you. Fatherhood really suits you Tony" Kate looked to Tali who was happily drawing on the coffee table. Tony looked at her and smiled.

"She's perfect. We have a lot of fun. Didn't expect it to be like this" he looked at his daughter with so much love in his eyes and Kate couldn't believe it. It took Tony a while but he finally found a girl that he would love unconditionally. That girl just happened to be his daughter.

"Did you ever want kids?" Tony asked, now putting his attention to Kate. They never would have been able to talk like this. But as he pointed out, people change.

"I did, but I uh, I clearly missed my chance" she said with a small laugh, trying to hide her true feelings about the situation.

"Never found the right guy?" he continued to push. This was most certainly a different Tony then what she was used to.

"Oh I found him, I just let him go for 13 years" she smiled and took a sip of her wine. Tony smiled softly.

"So you and Gibbs are good" at the mention of Gibbs' name, her face lit up.

"We are great. It's been 3 months and it feels like 3 years" she smiled. Tony grinned.

"So are we going to be hearing wedding bells in the near future?" he waggled his eyebrows and Kate couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh I don't think I would say that" again, Tony saw something in her eyes.

"Would you marry him?" he asked. Kate paused for a moment before answering.

"If he asked, I wouldn't say no" she admitted. Tony nodded and took a sip of his beer.

Gibbs opened the door, closing and locking it behind him. He heard laughter and then a high pitched squeal. He stopped for a moment, not knowing who that was from. He continued into the house and made his way to the kitchen and stopped. He saw Kate with a little girl who seemed to be having some sort of a water fight.

"Hey, you two stop. Someone set the table" Tony said as he grabbed something out of the oven.

"Hey" Gibbs said, finally announcing his arrival. All three stopped and looked at him.

"Oh hey boss" Tony grinned as he walked over and shook the older man's hand.

"Good to see you Tony" Gibbs said with a smile. He looked back to the kitchen and spotted the little girl.

"She's grown up" he said, making Tony nod.

"Yeah, they do that pretty quickly" he admitted making Gibbs laugh.

"Yeah they do" Tali came in with plates in her arms. She smiled at Gibbs as she put the plates on the table, then walked over to Tony.

"Sweetie do you remember Gibbs?" Tony asked and the little girl nodded.

"You're hair" she said with a smile making everyone laugh. Kate brought in the lasagne and sat it on the centre of the table, before going into the kitchen and grabbing the salad.

"Everyone have a seat" she ordered, putting the salad down and handing Gibbs a beer. She kissed him softly before sitting down and starting to serve up the food.

After dinner they had all chipped in to help Kate clean up after and all settled in the lounge room to talk and catch up. They hadn't realised how late it was until they saw that Tali had fallen asleep in Kate's lap. She smiled as she watched the little girl, rubbing her hand over her hair.

"We should get going" Tony said as he put his empty beer bottle on the table.

"You can stay here, we have a spare room" Gibbs said with a small smile.

"Thanks for the offer, but we are staying with my dad" Tony got up and stretched, turned to Kate and looked at his daughter for a moment before bending down to pick her up. She stirred but then wrapped her arms around him. Kate smiled at the sight and she got up to say good bye to them. Gibbs got up and walked them out, saying good bye with a smile. He watched them drive away, to make sure they got away safely. He went back to the lounge room and saw Kate still sitting there looking out the window.

"You okay?" he asked softly and she turned to look at him with a soft smile.

"Yeah, fine" she finally got up and grabbed t he empty bottles and her glass and took them to the kitchen, Gibbs followed.

"Tali took quite a liking to you" he pointed out as he watched her. Kate nodded again.

"Kids love me. I am Aunty Kate after all" she finally turned to face him and even though she was smiling, she didn't look happy. He walked over to her to stand in front of her. He looked down into her eyes.

"Talk to me" he said softly. She looked up at him and as much as she wanted to talk, there were no words that came out of her mouth. He reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned her head into his hand.

"Katie" he said, almost a whisper.

"I wanted children" she finally told him. His heart sank at this confession. He now felt responsible for not being able to make her dream come true.

"I'm sorry" he said softly, this catching her off guard ad she looked up into his eyes.

"No, it's not your fault" she quickly told him. She leaned in and kissed him softly.

"I was the one who left. I could have come back at any time, but I waited 13 years. I only have myself to blame" she wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I missed out on being a mother, but I haven't missed out on being with the man I love" she told him, with another soft kiss to his lips.

"Love you too" he told her, just loud enough for him to hear.

"That's all that matters" she said, giving him one more kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs was home alone, down in his quiet basement working on his new boat. He heard the front door open then close and he took a quick glance at his watch, 22:40. Another late night. He sighed and continued to work as he heard her foot steps come down the stairs.

"Hey, sorry I'm so late" she sighed as she walked over to him and kissed his cheek. He gave her a smile in return and continued his work. She stepped back and watched him for a moment.

"Have you eaten?" she asked softly and he nodded. She bit her lip as she continued to watch him.

"Are you annoyed because I'm home late, again?" He finally looked up at her and shook his head. She smiled hoping it would help whatever has him in this mute mood.

"How about I go up and shower then we can head to bed?" this earned her a small smile.

"Sure. Sounds good" he agreed, making her smile grow even more. She turned to head up the stairs, but was stopped by the ringing of her phone. She sighed and dug into her pocket and pulled out the ringing machine.

"Yeah?" she answered and listened to the person on the other end. Gibbs watched her for a moment before turning his attention back to his boat. Kate ended the call and put her phone away.

"I have to go back in" she said turning to face him. Gibbs nodded.

"Of course" the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. This made Kate stop a moment and look at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she crossed her arms over her chest. Gibbs sighed, and looked at her.

"Go back to work Kate, they clearly don't have anyone else" he told her and without thinking she snapped.

"This coming from you? You're angry because I am working long hours, and if my memory serves me right you used to do the exact same thing. Why is it such a problem now?" she asked, it was clear she was annoyed.

"Because I want to actually spend time with my girlfriend! Because" he paused "Because I miss you" he yelled at her. They both stared at each other, Kate being the first one to look away.

"Don't wait up" she told him as she turned and headed for the stairs. She ran up them, grabbed her coat off the hanger and was about to grab her keys too when she stopped. She looked at her keys and replayed what just happened in her head. She put herself in Gibbs' shoes and she couldn't help but see why he reacted the way he had. They had both been working crazy hours, but he still managed to make the time for her. She saw now that she was the one running away and making work her priority.

She sighed and put her keys down, took her jacket off and hung it back up. Grabbed her phone and quickly made a call to tell them she was not coming in. She then left her phone on the bench and went to head back down stairs. She paused at the top of the stairs and watched Gibbs for a moment. He had gone back to sanding his boat, but she could tell his mood had changed. There was more anger in his actions and at any moment she thought he might actually through the sanding block across the room.

Kate slowly made her way down stairs, purposely making her presence known to him. He didn't stop what he was doing or look at her. She crossed the basement so she was almost standing next to him.

"I thought you had somewhere else to be" he finally said. She nodded and tried to give him a small smile.

"I did, and its right here" this made him stop. He paused before he finally looked at her and she took a few steps closer to him.

"I'm sorry for before. I didn't realise I was neglecting you, neglecting us" she was suddenly finding it very hard to find the right words. He turned to face her, putting down the sanding block.

"I never meant to put work before you" she was now standing right in front of him. He still didn't say anything, just looked down at her. She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the thin layer of dust already coating his jumper.

"I promise to try and not let it happen again. And if it does you need to say something to me" she looked up at him and he nodded.

"Okay" he said softly. She gave him a small smile and leaned up to kiss him softly.

"So how do I make it up to you?" she asked. At this he grinned and wrapped his arms around her, turned her around and pushed her up against the wood of the boat.

"Oh I can think of one way" he leaned in and kissed her deeply.


	4. Chapter 4

Kate couldn't wait to get home and tell Gibbs. Although she knew he would be apprehensive about the whole idea, but she knew he would eventually come around.

She walked into the house and instantly smelt steaks cooking. She wasn't too fond of red meat, but there was just something about his steaks that she could not resist. She continued into the kitchen where he was just plating up the food. She walked in and wrapped her arms around him from behind and placed a kiss to his back.

"Someone is in a good mood" he said with a smile as he put the pan in the sink.

"Well I have some news" she said excitedly. Gibbs turned to glance at her.

"Which is?" he asked when she didn't continue. She finally let him go.

"I will tell you over dinner" Gibbs took their plates to the table while she grabbed them a drink. She came back over and took her seat next to him, thanked him for dinner and took a sip of her wine before digging in.

"So are you going to keep me waiting?" he asked through a mouth full of food. Normally she would tell him off, but she couldn't help find it funny that he could not be patient.

"Well, for a while I have been thinking about taking a few days off. You know just to unwind and relax. Then I started thinking that I am pretty sure you haven't taken a day off in years, and it's probably been longer since you have been on a holiday. So," she paused for dramatic effect. The look on his face told her she was taking way too long.

"I booked us five days at a resort in Florida" she said excitedly. Gibbs stopped chewing and looked at her. It was clear she was not joking.

"Kate, I have to put in for leave and then have it approved. I can't just up and leave" he said as he finally swallowed his mouth full. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know. That is why I have taken care of everything. It isn't for a few weeks, but I have worked everything out with your Director and McGee. You don't have to worry about a thing. Just pack a bag, or I can even do that for you, but just make sure you are on the plane with me" she smiled. Although the thought of going on a holiday made him tense, seeing how much trouble Kate had actually gone too to plan all this, it actually made him relax. He smiled and leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Thank you" he said softly. Kate's grin grew even more and he could tell she was now even more excited.

"I promise you won't have to do a thing. I will take care of everything" she promised as she continued to eat. Gibbs nodded. He trusted her. And how bad could it honestly be. Five days in Florida with Kate. In a bikini. That didn't sound bad at all.

Gibbs thanked the bar tender, grabbed the two drinks and headed back along the side of the pool to the two sun beds. He took a seat on the one in the shade and admired the backside of the woman occupying the other bed.

"You're drink is here" he finally said, causing her to smile as she turned her head to look at him.

"Thank you" she leaned over and took a small sip.

"It's perfect" she smiled and returned to reading her book.

"Have you put sunscreen on?" he asked as he sipped his own drink. She shook her head.

"Nope. Was waiting for my handsome boyfriend to help me" she grinned and looked at him. He smiled and nodded. Grabbed the sunscreen from her bag as she moved her hair out of the way and started spreading the white cream on her back.

"All done" Gibbs put the sunscreen down, and wiped his hands on his towel. He sat back on his sun bed and closed his eyes. Kate was reading her book, but turned to look at him. She grinned as she ran her eyes up and down his body. She closed her book and turned to face him.

"I think you should come join me in the pool" she smiled as she stood up from her chair and made her way over to the edge of the pool. Gibbs smiled and got up and followed her.

"I thought you said in the pool?" Gibbs said as he stood near Kate, who still hadn't gotten in the water yet. She smiled as she looked up at him.

"Just getting used to it first" she said sweetly. Gibbs smiled before finally diving into the water, splashing Kate in the process. When he emerged, hair wet and plastered to his face, he laughed as he saw the look Kate gave him for wetting her. He swam over to her so he was in between her dangling legs.

"That was not funny" she said seriously, which only caused him to laugh more.

"It was a little funny" he paused "So, enjoying it so far?" he asked, changing the subject. She finally nodded and smiled.

"I am. It's nice to have no interruptions" she looked around at the other occupants of the pool. There were only a few kids in the pool with their parents. She felt Gibbs' hands on her legs, making a tingle shoot up her body. She didn't know why she thought about it then, perhaps it was the children around, or the fact she actually couldn't remember the last time they hadn't had sex due to her menstrual cycle. She looked at Gibbs, gave him a small smile.

"I will be right back" she told him quickly before getting up and heading back over to their chairs. She grabbed her phone, went to her period tracker app and checked the dates. Her heart sank and as she looked at the dates.

"Shit" she said to herself. She grabbed her dress and pulled it on, grabbed their room key and her wallet, and went back to Gibbs.

"Hey I will be back, I just have to do something real quick" she told him, and before he could ask any questions she ran off.

Kate put the three sticks on the bathroom bench and set a timer for three minutes. She went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, when there was a knock on the door.

"Kate?" she heard Gibbs call from behind the door. She sighed and walked over to open it.

"Have you been here the whole time?" he asked as he stepped inside. Kate closed the door behind him but didn't say anything.

"Kate, talk to me" he urged her. She sighed and looked at him.

"Sit down" she said, and without another word he did as she said. She walked into the bathroom, grabbed the three sticks and walked back out to sit down next to him. She reached out and placed the sticks on the coffee table in front of them. She instantly noticed his body go stiff as he noticed what they were.

"While we were at the pool I realised that we haven't been interrupted by my period in sometime. So when I checked my app, I freaked out and ran to get these. I was going to tell you when I knew for sure" she explained to him. He nodded, reached over and squeezed her hand. Before he could say anything, her alarm went off, indicating that they were ready to check the results. She sighed and picked up the first one. It was a minus. She picked up the second one, also a minus. The third was like the first two, a minus. She let out a sigh, but she didn't expect was the tears that started to fall. Gibbs watched her for a moment, before reaching out and wrapping and arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. He kissed her head and held her until she finally pulled back and looked at him.

"I'm sorry. I just got really scared and now I'm just really relieved" she said as she wiped her face. Gibbs looked at her, brows furrowed.

"I love you and I love us. I love the way things are now. If I was pregnant it would have changed, well not everything but a lot" Gibbs wiped her tears away and made her look at him.

"If it was to happen, it happens Katie. Whatever happens, we will deal with it" he told her softly. This made her smile and she nodded. She leaned in and kissed him softly.

"How about we order room service and watch a movie?" he suggested. Kate smiled and nodded.

"You know me so well" she kissed him once more.

Kate woke, the only light in the room was the glow from behind the thick curtains of their hotel room. When she fully opened her eyes, she saw the bare back of her boyfriend, the sheet only just covering his bare backside. She grinned as she moved closer to his body.

After yesterday's events, they had stayed inside and watched movie after movie, eventually falling asleep after a very soft and intimate love making session.

She ran her hand down his bare back, down under the sheet to rest on his bare ass.

"Kate" came his muffled voice, making her laugh softly.

"Yes, Jethro?" she answered as she leaned down and placed kisses down the centre of his back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to turn to look at her. She climbed onto his back, kissing the back of his neck, now making him laugh.

"Well, I thought you could use a massage" she continued to place kisses along his neck as her hands moved up and down his back.

"Now why don't I believe that" he felt her hands go lower and stop on his hips.

"Would you like me to stop?" she asked, and without giving her a minute to realise what was happening, he rolled them over so he was now on top of her, making her laugh. She wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned as she could already feel his excitement pressing into her leg.

"Hmmm it seems like you have a different idea" she grinned as he leaned down and sucked on her neck, causing a moan to escape her mouth. She wrapped a leg around him to pull his body down to hers.

Then the phone rang. They both paused for a moment as they tried to figure out what it was making the noise. They had both agreed to put their phones in a draw for this trip for they had no distractions. When it stopped, they continued what they had started, when the sound started again, causing Kate to groan in frustration.

Kate was the one who got up to retrieve the phone. When she opened the draw she saw it was Gibbs' phone that was ringing. She saw 'Sloane' on the screen. She hadn't met Sloane yet, but had heard her name mentioned a few times. She sighed and picked it up.

"Hello?" she answered as calmly as possible.

"Hello? Gibbs?"the woman asked on the other end of the phone.

"No, he is a little indisposed at the moment. Can I take a message?" she couldn't help but roll her eyes. This was the exact reason why they had agreed to put their phones away so they could not be contacted.

"Uh no, it's okay. Sorry I interrupted" and with that the woman hung up. Kate sighed and put the phone back in the draw, but not before turning it off to make sure they would not be disturbed again.

When she got back to the bedroom, ready to continue what they had started, but sadly it seemed that Gibbs had fallen back to sleep. She sighed, a little disappointed but she smiled either way. She decided going back to sleep wasn't a bad idea after all. She climbed back into bed and cuddled up to him and soon she too was fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

"Gibbs has the best poker face I have ever seen. It's like trying to read a statue" Sloane said after having a sip of her beer. Grace, Vance and Tobias were all sitting around the dining table playing poker, Kate walked in handing another beer to Fornell as she came to stand behind Gibbs, hoping she could get a hint of what he had in his hand, but not luck.

"No, that's his natural state, aint that right Popeye" Grace added as she watched him closely. Gibbs looked at her with a grin, holding his cards close to his chest.

"He can't win five hands in a row" Vance said, eyeing the man at the head of the table "he's got to be bluffing"

"I'm not so sure. He had that same glint in his eye back when I married Diane and he had no longer had to pay alimony" Fornell added, this causing them all to laugh.

"I'm with Tobias on this one" Grace added.

"I'll call you Gibbs" Sloane finally said throwing her chips in the centre of the table. They all watched him eagerly, ready to see his cards. Kate leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"You win this one you can do whatever you want o me tonight" she heard Gibbs clear his throat as he grinned. He put down 4 kinds and the whole table erupted. Kate couldn't stop laughing as she kissed his cheek.

"And this is why I do not play poker with this man" she said. Gibbs' celebration was interrupted by his ringing cell. He had to leave the room to hear what the person on the other end of the line was saying.

Kate took over his seat and sipped on her own beer. She turned to watched Gibbs, wondering who was calling, since it was his and the teams weekend off.

"McGee, calm down" Gibbs yelled into his phone causing them all to stop and look at him. Kate started to feel uneasy. As Gibbs listened to what the younger man was saying he turned and looked at the people in his dining room.

"Be right there" he said closing his phone. He turned to his guests who were all now staring at him in total silence.

"Abby and Reeves were shot. Reeves didn't make it, Abby is in hospital" he told them. Kate got up straight away, her beer long forgotten.

"I'm coming with you" she said as she quickly made for the door and grabbed their jackets.

"I will meet you there" Vance said as he too got up from the table.

Kate had decided to share protection duty with McGee, to which Abby was thankful because McGee could not do her hair properly.

"It's really not that hard McGee. I mean now that you have a little girl you shoulder really start practicing" Kate said as she looked at her handy work while Abby checked it in the mirror McGee held in front of her.

"Wow Kate, they are perfect. Thanks" she beamed up at her friend. Kate leaned down and hugged her gently and kissed her cheek.

"You are very welcome. Now if you need me to do it again just call and I will be right over" Kate added. Abby nodded, making her pigtails swing. With another hug Kate left the two and headed out. When she was in the elevator her phone rang, she pulled it out of her pocket and smiled when she read the name on her screen.

"I just left and she is doing fine" she answered with a smile.

"Are Torres and Bishop there yet?" he asked.

"Not yet. McGee is still with her she isn't alone" she reassured him. When the doors opened she walked out and smiled when she saw Ellie and Torres standing there. They said a quick hello before continuing on.

"Question. Does Torres know his shirt is like two sizes too small, or is that on purpose?" she asked as she continued out of the building. She heard Gibbs laugh and it was the sweetest sound she had heard in days.

"You wouldn't be checking out my Agents now would you?" Kate stopped at her car and laughed.

"Well of course not. I was actually thinking perhaps you could start wearing shirts two sizes too small for you. You know show off that sexy body of yours" she grinned and heard him laugh even louder.

"Now we both know that you would just rip that shirt off me anyway" he finally said, causing her to grin even more.

"This is very true" she paused "It's nice to hear you laugh" she said softly.

"I will see you tonight" he finally said.

"See you tonight" she repeated before finally getting in her car and heading to work.

Kate pulled into the drive way and got out of her car. When she looked towards the house she saw Gibbs standing in the window looking out towards the street. She turned around to see what he was looking at but no one was there so she decided to go inside.

She walked into the lounge room and headed over to him.

"Hey, everything okay?" She asked softly. He turned to her and gave her a small smile before indicating to a note that was laid out on the coffee table. She stepped forward to and picked it up and started to read it.

"What is this?" she asked as she stopped and looked back up at Gibbs.

"Just, keep reading" he instructed. She took a seat and did as he said.

' _I was afraid that if you asked me to stay, I might waiver because there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. When I think back on when things in my life got difficult you were always there to tell me that it would be okay. And it would be because you would make it okay._

 _But Gibbs, Reeves is gone and it's not something anyone can fix. Not even you._

 _I hope you know what you mean to me, Gibbs. Every moment, every lesson, every hug. I'm thankful for it all._

 _No matter what we faced over the years, there was only ever one thing I needed to hear from you._

 _Kate. What can I say? You are more than just my best friend, you are my sister. Everything that we have been through I have always been able to count on you no matter what. I love you and I will miss you so very much. Now all I ask of you is to just saw yes'_

Kate looked up from the letter, tears in her eyes.

"What does she mean 'just say yes'?" Gibbs just shrugged and came to sit down next to her. She put the letter back on the table.

"So she is really gone? She talked about going to London last night but I didn't think she was actually going to go" she said softly. Gibbs reached his arm out and wrapped it around her shoulders. She let out a big sigh and rubbed his knee.

"I think I'm going to head up to bed. I'm exhausted" she said softly with a small smile. Gibbs just nodded and watched her head up stairs. He looked at the letter sitting on the table. He suddenly felt exhausted himself and decided to go up and join his girlfriend in bed.

Gibbs woke the next morning to an empty bed, which was different for him as he was normally the first one to get up. As he sat up he looked over at his set of draws. He got up, opened the top draw and dug around until he found the small wooden box. He stared at the engraved 'C' on the top of it. He knew he had wanted to do it for a while now, but just couldn't find the right time. Maybe it was the right time now.

Gibbs headed down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen where he saw her, standing at the bench in nothing but his t-shirt, her hair all messed up. He smiled as he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her small body making her smile.

"Good morning" she said with a smile.

"Morning. You're up early" he stated as he placed a kiss to her neck, then her shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep anymore, so I thought I would make us some coffee. I was going to make breakfast, but I haven't done the shopping yet" she placed her hands on his arms, not noticing the box hidden in his hand.

"Why don't we go out? You and me" he suggested. She smiled and leaned back into him.

"I like that idea" she turned her head and kissed his neck.

"But first I want to ask you something" this caught her attention and she waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she stood up properly and turned to look at him.

"What is it Jethro?" he looked at her and for once he was speechless. He held out the box to her, watching him, she reached out and took the box from his hand.

"Jethro, did you make this?" she asked looking at the box. He nodded.

"Open it" she did as she was told and gasped.

"Marry me?" he finally found his voice, staring into her eyes. He saw them water as she nodded.

"Yes. Yes of course" she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He kiss her back, arms going around her and pulling her closer to him.

"Wait, is this what Abby was talking about?" she asked pulling back slightly to look at him. He grinned and nodded.

"Who do you think helped me with the ring?" she grinned and kissed him again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This was just a bit of fun I thought up and thought would go well with their situation. Happy reading**

Gibbs laid down on the bed next to Kate, who was sitting up going through magazines.

"So, I need your help" she said and looked over at him. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Kate, I told you to choose everything" he said softly.

"I know, and as I have said this is our wedding not mine. So please just help me with this one thing" she said, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Fine" he rolled over and she showed him the magazine.

"I am having trouble choosing the flowers. I've got it down to these three" she showed him as he looked at her choices. To him they all looked the same, but clearly this meant something to her. He studied them for a moment then pointed to the third option.

"Go with them" he said and she grinned.

"Really? Because I was thinking them as well" she said happily. He smiled, leaned up and kissed her.

"I know you Kate" he simply said. She circled their choice and put the magazine on the bedside table and moved down so she was lying down next to him.

"So how well do you know me, Mr Gibbs?" she teased as she snaked her leg between his.

"Why don't I just show you" he suggested as he leaned in and kissed her deeply. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. It had been a while since they had been able to actually hold each other, let alone kiss and be intimate.

Gibbs rolled on top of her, a hand going under her shirt to caress her breast. She moaned into his mouth, running her hands down his back, slipped them inside his boxers and grabbed his ass. He pushed his hips into hers. At this point she would normally feel his excitement pressing into her, but she didn't. As his lips started to explore her neck, she moved her hands around to his hips, then ran them up and down his side and over his chest.

Still, she could not feel his excitement. Her hands moved down to try and help it even more. Gibbs let out a moan as he felt her hand on her member. It felt amazing, but for some reason he still was not hard. He willed his body to cooperate with how he was feeling, but the more her hand worked him, the more his body did the opposite of what he wanted. He sighed and grabbed her wrist to stop her. He rested his head on her chest and tried to control his breathing.

"Jethro" she said softly, but before she could say anything else he got up off her and sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her. For a moment she wasn't quite sure what to do, but she got up and sat behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay, it happens" she told him softly. It clearly didn't help because he stood up, putting more distance between them.

"Not to me" he said angrily. She watched him for a moment, it was clear that he was embarrassed.

"Look we have both been really busy with work and now with the wedding" she tried to reason with him.

"Kate I want to so bad. I can never get enough of you. Even when I have been dead on my feet I have been able to" he paused searching for the right words "to perform perfectly" he finally said. Kate couldn't disagree with you there.

"Honey it's a normal thing for men your" she stopped herself before she could finish her sentence.

"For men my what, Kate?" he asked. She sighed and got up off the bed.

"Jethro" she said and reached out for him but he moved out of her reach.

"For men my age, right? That's what you wanted to say?" it was clear that no matter what she said would not help as he left the bedroom and practically ran down the stairs.

Kate sat on the bed and sighed. She had no idea what she was supposed to do in this situation. She had never experienced anything like this before and never thought she would. Hell all she had to do was touch him and he was hard.

She decided to give him his space and climbed back into bed and tried to get some sleep.

It had been two days and they still hadn't spoken about the incident from the other night. They had barely even see each other, and Kate couldn't take it anymore. She decided to go and see him on her lunch break to try and reconcile.

When walked up to the squad room and sadly he wasn't there.

"Hey Kate, what are you doing here?" McGee asked with a smile.

"Hi Tim, I was actually after Jethro. Is he here?" she asked looking around.

"No, he and Bishop are out at the moment. Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked and she gave him a sweet smile and shook her head.

"Unfortunately not. But thanks anyway" they said a quick goodbye before she finally left. She thought about seeing Jack and talking about what happened and trying to get some advice on what to do, but decided against because if she went to Jack then she would know about Gibbs' problem and Kate knew Gibbs would hate that. That would actually make him even angrier.

On her way out of the building she decided to call Gibbs and try to organize a date night. Maybe it was all the stress of the wedding that was weighing on his mind and affecting his performance. He was never a big talker and probably would never admit it to her let alone himself. She grabbed her phone and was about to dial his number when she heard his voice.

"Kate, what are you doing here?" he asked. She looked up and saw him and Bishop, who gave her a big smile and hello, but continued walking heading inside to give them their privacy.

"I wanted to come surprise you for lunch, but McGee said you were out so I was just leaving" she explained. Gibbs nodded.

"You should of called, saved you the trip" he said coldly. She took a deep breath to try and keep her composure.

"I was actually about to call you. I would like to take you out to dinner tonight. We haven't really had much us time lately and thought we could use it" she suggested with a small smile. He nodded his agreement.

"I will see how I go with this case. Call you later" just when she thought he was about to walk past her without a good bye, he stopped and kissed her cheek before continuing on. She smiled with the hope that whatever this little hiccup was could still be saved.

Kate sat on the couch with her wine and laptop. Gibbs had called an hour ago saying he would be late, but to make it up to her he would bring home dinner. So here she was, sipping her wine while finalizing their guest list while waiting for him and the food to arrive.

When she heard the front door open and close she didn't move. When he walked in and sat down next to her and placed the food on the table, she still didn't look at him.

"Is there anyone else you would like to add to our list before I send it off to the printers?" she asked as she sipped her wine.

"Nope. As long as you're there I don't care about anybody else" he said softly, making her look over at him. It had to have been the sweetest thing he had ever said to her. She gave him a small smile and put her laptop down.

"Well in that case, the list is done" she said.

"Hungry?" he asked as she grabbed the Chinese.

"Starving" she agreed as she sat closer to him. He passed her the container container her favorite noodles. He passed her chopsticks and they started eating in relative silence.

When Gibbs was done he put his empty container back in the bag, sat back and looked over at Kate.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly. She paused her next mouthful of food to look at him.

"Yeah" she said with a nod. She put her food pack in the container and placed it on the table.

"I think the question is, are you okay?" she asked. He didn't answer her at first, he didn't really know what to say, though the no answer was answer in itself.

Kate moved closer and placed a hand on his knee.

"I know it's been stressful the last few weeks and I don't blame you at all for what has happened. And I would never think about blaming your age either. You should know by now your age means nothing to me, in fact it is one of the things that drew me to you" she smiled softly and reached out to run her fingers through his hair "With this grey hair, your weathered face and personal experience is what I fell in love with. Everything else was just an added bonus" this finally made him smile. He never did take compliments well. He reached up and grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"So if I had to take one of these little pills every time we wanted to have sex, you would still love me?" he asked as he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the little bottle. Kate couldn't help but smile. It was evident he wanted to fix this problem, so much so that he even went to the GP to try and fix it.

She reached out and grabbed the bottle from him to read the label.

"Pills or not Jethro, I will also love you" she said with a smile. He leaned over and kissed her softly. She looked back down at the bottle and this time noticed the seal was broken and she looked back at him.

"Have you taken one already?" she asked and he nodded.

"While waiting for the food" he admitted which caused her to grin. She gently placed the bottle on the table and fully turned to face him.

"So, does that mean we should try and see if it is going to work?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Oh, but it already has" he said before leaning over and kissing her deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pushed her back onto the couch. He pressed his hips down into hers and that's when she felt it. She grinned and couldn't help but run her hand down his body to his growing member and grabbed it, causing him to groan into her mouth.

Kate woke up to an empty bed. After the love making on the couch, they then eventually moved up to the bedroom where she had fallen asleep almost instantly.

She got up and pulled on one of his shirts and headed down stairs. She noticed he had cleaned up their dinner from the living room, so she continued down to the basement where he was working on his boat, as always.

"Couldn't sleep?" she said announcing her arrival into the room. He stopped and looked up at her.

"I take it you couldn't either?" he said watching her walk closer to him.

"Well I was, but then I woke up to an empty bed and decided to come and find out why?" she tilted her head and grinned at him. He sighed and stopped what he was doing.

"Well if you must know, I have a small problem" he told her.

"What problem would that be?" she was now a little worried. He cleared his throat and stepped out from behind the boat. When he did, she noticed straight away the bulge that was still in his pants. She couldn't help but grin.

"Oh yes, I see your problem now. Does it say how long it's supposed to last?" she asked as she walked over to him. He sighed, clearly frustrated that it was still up.

"After four hours I am to seek medical attention" he told her and she grinned.

"Well, I could see if could help you with that?" she suggested with a grin. He looked at her a little confused.

"Katie, you're tired. I'm sure it will right itself" he said, but she wasn't really listening, her mind already made up. She stood in front of him and went to lean in to kiss him, but stopped and got down on her knees in front of him.

"Katie" he breathed as he realized what she was going to do. She reached up and pulled his boxers down, kissing the bare skin of his stomach as she did so.

"Let me take care of you" she breathed and before he could object anymore, he felt her lips against the head of his still hard member. Without another thought she took him all into her mouth, moaning as she did so. He couldn't help but reach down and run a hand through her hair as she continued to work him with her mouth. He leaned back, eyes closed as her tongue worked its way up and down the length of him. She let him go with a pop and looked up at him, pleased with the effect she was having on him. She used her hand to work the base of him, while her mouth covered the tip and she sucked, eliciting another moan from the man she loved.

"Oh Katie" he moaned as his hips bucked and he let go into her mouth. She grinned as she finished up and slowly started to stand up, placing kisses up his body as she did so until she reached his lips. He kissed her back deeply, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Did I help?" she asked pulling back slightly. He grinned and nodded.

"In more ways than one" she couldn't help but laugh as she leaned back into him. She could feel for herself that he was still somewhat hard, but slowly going limp.

"You know I don't care about the sex, right? I mean it always has and always will be amazing, but it's not the reason why I'm here" she said softly. He nodded and held her tighter against him.

"I know" he kissed her head "Now, let's go up to bed" he suggested and lead them up the stairs, back to their bedroom where he held her as she fell back to sleep. He kissed her shoulder and silently prayed to all the gods that whatever the future holds, that he will always have this woman in his life and in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

Kate paced the small room where her, Rachel and Abby had gotten ready. There was less than 10 minutes until she had to pick up her bouquet and walk down the aisle to her awaiting husband to be. She stopped and looked in the mirror to make sure her make-up and hair was still perfect. A smile graced her features as she finally saw how beautiful she was right now.

The door to the room opening made her turn, the smile still on her face, but slowly falling as she studied the look on her sister and Abby's face.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked walking over to them. Abby looked at Rachel as she held out a folded piece of paper to her sister.

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry" she said as Kate reached out for the note. She could hear her heart beating louder and louder as she took the note and opened it.

Written inside was in his tell tale scrawl was the simple word 'Sorry'. She stared at it, willing her voice to her work. She looked up at the girls, tears in her eyes.

"He's?" she couldn't even finish the full question.

"Kate I'm sorry. I don't think anyone saw this coming" Abby said as she took a step closer to her friend.

"No" she said shaking her head.

"Katie" Rachel said softly. Both women were now standing in front of her, her sister reached out and touched her arm. It was that touch that made her crumble.

"No" she cried out as she let them hold her.

"No" she cried so hard it felt like her body was going to break.

"Kate" it was soft, like coming from across the room, but she knew it was him. It was his voice.

"Katie, wake up" she heard him again, this time finally opening her eyes. Through her tears she saw his face in the darkness and it was like she was able to breathe again.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

"Hey, you're okay" he said softly as he held on to her. He waited a moment before pulling back and looking at her, wiping away the few tears that were still on her face.

"What happened?" he asked her softly. At first she looked away, ran her hands over his arms before speaking.

"You walked out. You left me. On our wedding day" she said softly. Gibbs sighed and pulled her into him and kissed her head.

"Was just a dream Katie. I will be there. I promise" he told her softly as she curled her body into his more. She knew in her heart that he would never do such a thing, but it felt so real. He pulled her down onto the bed, his arms still wrapped around her. She cuddled into him and sighed.

"Two days and we will be husband and wife" she said as she ran a hand over his chest.

"For better or for worse" he smiled and kissed her again "Now get some sleep" he told her. She nodded and finally was able to sleep without anymore nightmares.

Kate's heart was beating too fast. She had to sit down before she either passed out or threw up. It was just like her dream. All she needed was Rachel and Abby to walk in with that piece of paper.

She turned and looked at the door as it opened and in walked Rachel and Abby, her breathing stopped.

"Hey sweetie, you doing okay? You look like you're about to pass out" Rachel came to sit next to her younger sister. Kate nodded and tried to give her a small smile.

"Look, the boys are doing just fine. The celebrant has just arrived and mom is busily ushering everyone to their seats" she said as she wrapped an arm around her.

"And just so you know, Gibbs looks very handsome. And Tony, like wow" Abby said with a grin, which made them all laugh.

"You know, he did tell me about that dream you had. And I can safely say that man is not going anywhere" Rachel said, making Kate smile.

"You have got one amazing man sweetie" she kissed her younger sisters head and was joined by Abby.

"Agreed. After 13 years of waiting this day has finally come" her best friend added. Kate took a deep breath, she didn't want to cry just yet.

There was a soft knock and then the door opened and Ducky pocked his head inside.

"I believe there is a wedding we must get to ladies" he said as he entered the room. After speaking with her mother, Kate had decided to ask the old man to walk her down the aisle, as she didn't want to have to choose between her brothers.

"Absolutely. Come on, let's not keep that man of yours waiting" Rachel and Abby both stood up and grabbed the three bouquets. Kate stood with a smile and took hers.

"You look beautiful my dear" Ducky said as he kissed her cheek. She blushed slightly and she felt her stomach flutter. This was finally it. She was only minutes away from marrying the man she had been in love with for many years.

The girls lead the way out of the room and towards the awaiting family and friends. Just before they reached the arch in the garden. They blew Kate a kiss before they started their slow walk down the aisle. Ducky looked at her and squeezed her hand.

"Are you ready?" he asked her with a grin. Not trusting her voice right now, she just nodded and smile. With a pat to her hand, they turned the corner and she finally saw him. She couldn't help but freeze. There he was, looking as nervous as hell wearing his dress blues. She couldn't take her eyes off him, it wasn't until she felt Ducky squeeze her hand again that she realized she was supposed to be walking down the aisle towards her husband to be.

With a deep breath she started walking towards her man, not taking her eyes off him. She had never seen him look more handsome, or as happy as he looked right now, in this moment.

When they reached the end, Gibbs stepped towards them, still not taking his eyes of his wife. She looked absolutely breath taking. Ducky shook his hand with a big smile.

"Look after her" Ducky told him. Gibbs grinned, still not taking his eyes off her.

"I promise" he then took Kate's hand and they stood side by side as the celebrant conducted the ceremony.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride" she announces and Gibbs pulls his new wife closer, she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him deeply. She had been wanting to do it since she saw him.

The cheers and applause got louder and they finally pulled apart.

"I love you" he told her softly, making her smile grow even wider, if that was even possible.

"I love you too" she said as she kissed him again quickly. When they pulled apart they were met with hugs and kisses from their friends and family as they made their way back up the aisle.

They had done it. They were officially married. Husband and wife. For better or for worse. Until death do they part.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Mr and Mrs Gibbs for their first dance as husband and wife" the MC announced as Gibbs grabbed Kate's hand and lead her out onto the dance floor. Neither of them were used to being centre of attention and having so many eyes focused on them.

Gibbs pulled Kate in close, took her hand in his, his other wrapping around her. She smiled as she looked up at him, she still couldn't believe he wore his old Marine dress uniform. She didn't even know he still had it, but it would explain why he had started going for runs every morning.

When Russell Dickerson's 'Yours' started playing through the speakers they started moving slowly, their eyes locked.

"Have I told you how handsome you look tonight?" she asked him softly, making him smile and nod.

"A few times. I'm glad you like it" he said as his hand ran up and down the small of her back, not only just feeling the soft lace of her dress, but making sure she was real. Making sure this was in fact his Katie standing in front of him.

"I love it and I love you. So very much Jethro" she moved her arms up to wrap around his neck, his wrapping around her waist.

"See, no need for those nightmares" this made her laugh and hug him tight as he moved them around the dance floor. They were then soon joined by their guests on the dance floor. She rested her head on Gibbs' shoulder closing her eyes just to enjoy this moment. She never thought she would have a moment like this, so she had to take in every second. She felt his lips on her head and smiled.

"Don't tell me the Mrs Gibbs is tired already?" she opened her eyes to see Tony and Abby next to her and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Not at all, just enjoying this moment" she explained with a sweet smile.

"Well do you mind if I ruin this moment and steal you away from your husband?" Tony asked with a cheesy grin, making her laugh and nod. They swapped dance partners, Abby clearly happy to have some quality time with Gibbs.

"So what's it like being married to the boss?" Tony asked as they started dancing across the room.

"It feels amazing. And you can stop calling him that you know. He is no longer either of our boss'" she said with a smile. Tony laughed and nodded.

"I know, but he is still boss to me" she smiled and they were silent for a moment before Tony spoke again.

"Do you ever wish things had been different?" he asked. She looked at him, not really sure what he meant.

"Like if I hadn't left after Ari? Or are you more thinking if you had swept me off my feet before Gibbs had the chance to?" she asked with a grin. This made Tony laugh, taking away the seriousness of the conversation.

"Oh Kate, a bit late now to admit your feelings for me" he said laughing, Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean if our lives were normal. If you and Gibbs hadn't been almost killed by a terrorist, if you actually acted on your feelings first instead of waiting until it was too late" he was now serious and Kate couldn't help but actually think about his question.

"Sometimes I do wish things had been different. Who knows, maybe we would have gotten married earlier, or had kids" she shrugged as she looked around at her guests that were dancing and laughing and enjoying themselves.

"But even still, I wouldn't change anything at all" she looked at him "And neither should you Tony. You are an amazing father and an even better man" she smiled. Tony looked at her and smiled. There was no need for any more words. He just hugged her tight, before they got pulled apart by her brother Daniel.

Kate grabbed a flute of champagne and headed out one of the doors to the patio and looked up at the night sky. She smiled but sighed. It was the perfect night. It was the perfect day in fact, but a little piece of her still felt sad.

She sipped her champagne and looked out at the garden in front of her. She didn't hear the person approach her until she felt the hand on her back, making her jump slightly. She turned to see her husband standing next to her, looking a little worried and she gave him a small smile.

"You okay?" he finally asked and she nodded, but he didn't believe her. She turned to look up at the star filled sky and leaned back into the solid chest of her husband.

"Growing up, I believed that if you lose someone close to you, if you looked up at the sky at night the stars twinkling were their eyes looking down at you" she said softly. Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder.

"He is up there looking down on us right now and he would be so proud of you" he told her softly. It was no secret that every little girl grew up and imagine her dad would be the one to walk her down the aisle. That she would share a father-daughter dance on her special day. To not have your father here on your big day, would be very hard but Kate had put on brave face for most of the day.

Kate turned her head to face him and kissed his cheek.

"He would have loved you" she said softly and she felt his arms tighten around her even more.

"Not as much as I love you" he said softly making her smile.

They stayed like that for a while, not really knowing how much time had passed.

"There you two are. Everyone is looking for you two. They are getting ready to cut the cake" Kate's eldest brother James said as he walked over to them.

"Right, we better get in there" Kate said as Gibbs finally let her go. He kissed her head and headed inside first, leaving Kate with her brother.

"You two okay?" he asked eyeing his baby sister. She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Yeah. Just thinking about Dad" she told him. James nodded and stepped closer to her.

"He would be happy for you, you know that right?" he said and she nodded.

"He is a great guy Katie. And he loves you" he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.

"I am so happy for you. Now come on, I really want some cake" this made them both laugh and they headed back in.

Kate couldn't stop laughing as she pushed open the door to their room and Gibbs carried her inside. He kicked the door closed behind them and she kissed him deeply. He put her down, her arms still around his neck.

Kate pulled back and looked up at him.

"I have a surprise for you" she said softly as she bit her lip. Gibbs grinned and pulled her against him. As much as he was grateful to have been surrounded by friends and family all day, it was so nice to finally be alone with each other.

She turned around in his arms, looked back over her shoulder at him.

"Undo me" she ordered him. He grinned and ran his hands down her back to the zipper of her dress. He slowly pulled it down, while also taking in how good the fabric felt on her body. When it got to the end he carefully urged it down and it pooled at her feet. She stepped out of it and away from him and turned to face him.

It was clear her surprise had worked because he was speechless. He stood there just staring at her.

"Do you like it?" she asked, her hands on her hips. She was standing there in a lace white corset, matching sheer white thong with garter belt, thigh high stockings and her heels.

"Wow Katie" he said softly, still unable to move or even blink. She grinned even more and carefully stepped over her dress to be in front of him. She ran her hands all over his chest, taking in his uniform.

"I love this so much, but I also happen to love what's underneath it" she told him as her fingers played with the buttons.

"So take it off" he said softly as he watched her. She grinned and one by one started undoing the buttons on his jacket. She carefully pulled it off him, and with their backgrounds she couldn't find the will to let it hit the ground, so she walked over and placed it on the chair. She went to turn back to go to him but he was already there, his lips attacking her neck and then her shoulders. Her eyes closed and she couldn't stop the small moan that escaped her lips. She reached back and dug her fingers into his hair.

"Please don't go slow Jethro, I have wanted you all day" she told him and she could feel the grin on his lips. He turned her around and kissed her deeply, pushing her back to the table. He lifted her up onto it, his hands roaming all over her body, like he couldn't get enough of her.

Kate's hands grabbed at his body wanting to be closer to him, her hands running down his chest to his pants. She undid his belt, then his zipper and pulled down his pants, hearing the satisfying soft thumb of them hitting the floor.

"Mmmm I like these" she said with a grin as her hands felt the silk of his boxers. She bit her lip as she looked down at them, his excitement clearly evident between them.

Gibbs shrugged and looked down at her.

"Wanted to dress up too" he says almost like he was embarrassed. She couldn't help the grin spreading across her face as she ran her hands down his chest to the inside of his silk boxers and grabbed his very hard member, causing a moan to leave his mouth.

"I need you now" she told him. He looked down into her eyes, so dark with desire.

"Anything for you Mrs Gibbs" he said, leaning down and kissing her deeply.


End file.
